Trimming machine



5. J. FINN TRIMMING MACHINE Sept. 4, 1928.

Original Filed-Feb. 2 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 4, 1928. 1,682,780

S. J. FINN TRIMMING MACHINE v Original Filed Feb. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 g. ,Fig'].

//v VE/V 717R.

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY ;r. FINN, or BEVERLY, msssaorlusurrs, Assurance EM} outrun siren m, CHINERY ooaronerron, or reruns-ion, NEW JERSEY, A ooaronerron or New JERSEY.

TRIMMING meoirrrvn.

Application filed February 27, 1925, SeriahNo. 12,052. neat-wee February a, less.

This invention relates to trimming machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for trimming the overflow from molded and vulcanized rubber heels.

Such heels are inade by placing blanks of unvulcanized rubber or rubber compound in molds and subjecting themto heat and pres sure. In order to insure that theniolds shall be completely filled, the blanks are made a little Oversize. Consequently, during the heating and pressing operation, more or less rubber overflows into the spaces between the parts of the mold, and at the end of the operation, this overl'low forms lips or line oi vulcanized rubber which project from the top and bottom edgcsot the heel. In order to complete the heels, this overflow is com- 11101113 removed by means of a trimming machine.

A machine which is commonly used corn prises trimming mechanism in the form of a pair out cooperating rotarycutters and a work table which may be adjusted. angularly to vary the inclination of thecut and bodily to vary the level at which the work is presented to the cutters, a machine of this general organization being disclosed in application lrlerial No. 569,800, tiled June 21, 1922, in the name of Brogan, now Patent No. 1,53%,257. The angular adjustment is desirable in order that a clean out may be made and for certain other reasons which will be explained more in detail in the specification. The bodily adjustment is desirable because in some cases certain localities on the facesof heels are at diil'creut levels from that of the edgesoif said faces; and the table is raised or lowered as may be required to bring the overflow into proper position to be severed by the cutters. According to one feature or the present invention, a mach ne having trmnnmg mechanism and an angularly and bodily adjustable table is provided with a single mem her manipulation 0t whichean be caus d to effect both adjustments. In the illustrative machine this member takes the torm ot manually operablelever convenientlylocated so that, while with one hand the operator is guiding the work over the table, with the other hand he may at the proper times change ,hoth adjustments of the table.

In machines of this kind in which a rotary cutter is employed it is necessary that the cutter be maintained exceedingly sharp; and

ings

to this end, another feature of the invention relates to a sharpening mechanism whichmay be rendered operative at will and is so constructed and arranged that the sharpening Fig. I is a perspective of a machine in which the present invention is embodied,

Fig. Qis an elevation oi themachine,

Fig. 8 a vertical longitudinal section of the machine,

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing more part-icularly the cutter-sharpening device in operative position, the hollov guard torthe upper cutterhaving been moved into raised position to expose the upper cutter,

Fig. Bis aplan of certain parts shownin Fig. 4, and

lligs. 6 and 7 are two views principally in section showing a rubber heel in PIQUOSSXIi being operated upon; and the two positions to which the operator moves the table.

Before proceeding to describe in detail the features which are new, a general description of the machine and its mode of operation will be given. i x i The machine comprises a frame?) iirsuitablc horizontal bearii'lgs of which are rotatable two shafts 11, 13 having fast respective ly at their outer ends a disk cutter 15 of small diameter and a cooperating disk cutter 17, of larger diameter. The uper shaft 11 carries at the end remote from t. small cutter 15 a pulley 19 to receive driving'beltg llhe upper cutter is a thin flexible one; andthe coiled spring 25 urges um gear 21 and.

strength of the spring 25 is so chosen as to cause the upper cutter to be bent slightly so that it is progressively flexed as the cutters are rotated. The distance to which the shaft 13 is moved to the right by the spring 25 is thus determined by the overlapping engagement of the cutters. It is not desirable, however, that the spring 25 should be continually pressing the lower cutter against the upper one without limit during the operation of the machine; and to prevent this from taking place, there is provided on the shaft 11 a collar 27 into which is threaded the stem of a clamping screw 29 (see Fig. 1), said stem extending through an elongated slot in the frame of the machine and having a shoulder such that, when the clamping screw is ti glitened, the shoulder engages the frame and holds the collar 27 from movement. A light spring 31 urges the collar 27 to the left and maintains said collar in contact with the hub of the gearQl at such times as the shaft 13 may be moved manually to the left with the clamp screw 29 loosened. In adjusting the lower cutter 17 to the right, the clamp screw 29 is loosened to permit the spring 25 to push the lower shaft 13 to the right sufficiently to flex the upper cutter 15, the strength of this spring being just sufficient to produce the proper flexure. The screw 29 is then tight ened. If presently, because of wear, or for any other reason, the cutters are not pressed together with the desired force, the operator merely loosens the screw29 and tightens it again. 7

Extending over the upper cutter 15 is a guard 31fast to the lower end of an inclined spindle 33 carried by a bracket 35, a round belt 37 passing around the guard, over idle pulleys 39, 41, and around a pulley 13, which is integral with the hub of the gear 21. Mounted at the right of the cutters is a table or work support 415 which is angularly adjustable about a substantially horizontal axis located close to the bite of the cutters and is also adjustable up and down bodily to vary the position of the table vertically. A reservoir 46Supplies lubricant through pipes 47, 49 to the guard 31 and to the lower cutter 17 respectively, there being in the delivery ends of these pipes pieces of felt or similar material which contact with the guard and with the cutter. In the operation of the machine, a molded rubber heel is placed upon the table 45 with its overflow or fin projecting beneath the thin-edged guard 31 into the bite of the cutters andfed in such manner as to cause the fin to be severed, the angular position of the table as well as its height being varied as may be desired as different portions of the fin are trimmed off.

The general organization of the machine. as thus far described, may be substantially the same as is disclosed in the patent to Brogan referred to above, the particular features being claimed respectively in that patent and in application Serial No. 524,293, filed J an. 23, 1919, in the names of Putt &- Stevens, now Patent No. 1,533,139, application Serial No. 507,195, filed Oct. 12, 1921, in the name of ,Brogan, now Patent No. 1,534,053, and application Serial No. 732,992, filed August 19, 1924, in my name, all of said patents and said application being owned by the same assignee as is the present application.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6 and 7, the table is shown in two successive positions which it commonly occupies when a heel is being trimmed. Rubber heels very commonly have proi'ections on their tread faces such for examp e as the rings which encircle the nail holes. In Figs. 6 and 7, a heel of this kind is shown at and the projections at 200. Assuming now that the table 45 1 is at the proper height as in Fig. 6 to bring the overflow on the tread face of the heel into the bite of the cutters, then if the heel is turned over and placed with its heel-seat face upon the table, it will be evident that the table must be raised to bring the overflow from the heel-seat face into the bite of the cutters. Fig. 7 shows the heel so placed and the table raised. The illustrativeheel is a flat one with projections on the tread face thereof, but the same necessity for changing the hei ht of the table arises in the case of heels whic 1 are concavo-convex, whether or not such heels have projections on their tread faces, the table being lowered as in Fig. 6 when the convex face rests upon it and being raised as in Fig. 7 when the concave face rests upon it.

Besides raising and lowering the table, it is also desirable at the same time to change its inclination. One or more of the edge faces of rubber heels are commonly beveled, the bevel extending upwardly and outwardly with respect to theheel from the tread face to the heel-seat face, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Moreover, the fin or overflow at the edge of the tread face does not always extend parallel to saidface, but sometimes extends at right anlges thereto. For these reasons the heel should be supported at a considerable angle of inclination when its tread face is resting upon the table. When, however, the overflow at the hcelseat face comes to be trimmed, a different condition is encountered. The bevel of the edge face does not in this case require that the table should be at so great an angle and, moreover, there is in most cases good reason why the angular inclination should be less. The lnolds in which rubber heels are made are usually so constructed that most of the overflow 0f the rubber occurs at the heelseat face with the result that the overflow at this face has considerable thickness and should therefore be severed by a out which is Imope nearly parallel to the edge face of the in the illustrative machine a pivoted manually operable lever 51 conveniently accessible to "the operator is so connected with the table that depressing the lever changes the position of the table from that shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7, and releasing the lever permits the table to return to the position shown in Fig. 6. To this end the far end of the table,

as viewed in Fig. 1, is supported by an up turned portlon of a stationary curved bar 05 whichis fastto the frame of the machine.

Through the end of the upturned portion of the bar 55 isthreaded a pivot screw 57, the enlarged'roundedhead on the inner end of which isreceived in a suitable socket formed in a boss59 on the table. The near end ofthe table (Fig. 1) is also supported by the bar 55 but in such manner that this end of the table maybe raised and lowered with respect to the bar. A screw 61, similar to the screw 57, has a rounded head which is received, like the rounded head of the screw 57, in a suitable socket in a boss 63 formed on the table. The screw 61, however, is not mounted directly in the bar 55 but is threaded through a boss 65 formed at the upper endof a rod 67 which is vertically slidable in alined bores formed in lugs 69, 71 which are integral with the bar 55, the screw 61 being locked in position by a nut 73. A spring 75 hearing at its upper end against the lug71 and at its lower end against athumb-nut77, threaded on the rod 67, tends at all times to pull the rod, and with it the end i of the table downwardly. In order to limit j to be swung farther upward.

adjustably this downward movement, a set screw 79, threaded through an GXtGIlSlOll on the boss 65, contacts with the upper surface of the lugGS) and isheld in adjusted position by a second set-screw 81. The hand lever 51 is pivoted to the bar 55 at 83 and has at its r1ghthand end a yoke which straddles a flattened locality of the vertical rod 67 so that when the hand lever is depressed the table will be raised.

Extending to the left from the near end of the/table, as viewed nFi 1. 1S (1.11112'11185 pivoted at its left-hand end to the upper end i of rod 87, the lower end of the rod passing through a yoke formed at one end of a right angled bracket 89 which is rigid with the lever 51, there being threaded upon the lower I end of the rod a nut 91 having a rounded up per endasshown in Fig. 2 l'fihe position of this nut determines the extent to which the table will be swungupwardly about its axis when the lever 51 is depressed. Screwing the nut farther upon the rod will cause the table The initial angular position of thetable that is its lower position as shown in Fig. 6-1s determined by the position of a stop 92 which is adjustable f on acurved bar 9st carriedby the table, said stop being held in adjusted position on the bar .9 1; by a set screw and being adapted to contact with a stop in the form of a lug 96 Fig. 1) carried by the bar 55. When a given lot of heels is to be trimmed, the screw 7 9, which regulates the normal height of the table, and the stop 92, which regulates the normal inclination of the table, are adjusted until the height and inclination of the table are right for the particular lot of heels, for example until the table occupies the position shown in Fig. 6. Theheels are then trimmed one by one. hen the overflow at the tread face has been trimmed, with the table in the position shownin Fig. 6, the hand lever 51 is depressed to move the table into the position shown in Fig. 7 and is held depressed until the overfiowat theheelseat face is trimmed. And if at any time during the trimming operation it is desirable to cause the table tooccupy an intermediateposition, as may occur when the overtlowalong one of the breast edges is being trimmed, such intermediate position can readily be obtained. In this connection it should be noted that the edge of the table next to the cutters is cut away (Fig. 1) on both sides of its middle portion so as to leave a projection adjacent the cutters upon which the breast edge face of a heel may be placed and upon which the heel held from turning by a key 9921s shown in It desirable that'the hollow guard and feed member 31 should be capable of adjust ment vertically and horizontally in order to permit it readily to be located properly with respect to the upper cutter as well as to permit the sharpening stone to be used. 'lloithis end the bracket 35 (Figs.1,.3 and 1) has formed upon it a T-shaped slide 101 which is received in a suitably shaped vertical guideway formedat the right-hand end of a carrier block 1 03, the right-hand end of salidblock being to an extent cut away as indicated at 105 in Fig. 3 so that a pinch-screw 107 may be employed to aid in holding the slide 101,

and with it the guard 31, in adjusted vertical position. In order tofacilitate verticaladjustment of the bracket 35, the slide 101 has a rearward projection through which is threaded a screw 109 which is held in adjusted position by a pinchscrew 111. Thecarrienblock 103 is slidable in suitable ways in a path sub stantially parallel tothe axis of theshaft' 11, being held in adjusted positionby a cap screw 113 whichpztsses through a slot in thebloclr and is threaded into the frame of the machine. At the lower end of the slot is a socket in which is received a disk eccentrically mounted on the stem of the cap screw. A pin 117 (Fig. 4), driven into this disk, furnishes means for turning the disk to adjust the block 103 and with it the hollow guard 31.

In order that the machine may operate satisfactorily it is essentialthat the upper cutter be kept sharp; and to this end there is )rovided a sharpening stone holder or bracket which may readily be moved into or out of operative position. Referring first to Fig. 4, wherein the bracket 119 which carries the sharpenig stone 121 is shown in its operative position, this bracket is fast to one end of a rod 123 which is slidable and rotatable in a suitable bearing formed in a boss 102 on the block 103. a coiled spring125 acting at all times to pull therod into its socket; and when the bracket 119 is in the position shown in Fi 4, the inner edge of the bracket adjacent to the rod is drawn into a slot 127 formed in the boss 102 and is thus held securely while the operator manipulates the sharpening stone 121 in a manner pr-cea ntly to be described. Slidably mounted in a guideway at the outer endot the bracket 119 a holder 128 for the sharpening stone 121, said holder being held in said guiq leway by a screw 129 which passes through'a slot in the bracket and is threaded into the holder. A coiled spring 133, fastened atone end tothe bracket 119 and engaging with its free end a pin 1 35 driven into the holder 128, tends at all times to move the sharpening stone into and to hold it in the position shown.

' Normally, the bracket 119 occupies its inoperative position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When it is desired to sharpen the upper cutter 15 the guard 31 is raised and the bracket swung up into the position shown in Fig. 4 and released, whereupon the spring 125 pulls the edge of the bracket into the'slot 1.27 and brings the stone 121 into contact with the cutter 15. The manipulation of the grinding device thereafter is as followst l he holder 128 is pulled back against the force of the spring 133 so as to draw the stone across the beveled edge of the cutter-15. The holder is then released but does not automatically move back to the position'shown in Figs. 4 and 5, because the spring 133 is purposely made so weak that it will not move the holder 128 under these conditions. The bracket 119 is next pulled out slightly to separate the stone from the cutter, whereupon the spring 133 becomes effective to project the holder 128 and with it the stone once more into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The bracket 119 is then released and theprocedure, which has been described above, is repeated it necessary. \Vith this construction it will be noted that a considerable extent of the surface of the stone 121 is employed and that the cutter is, so

to speak, stroked always from a locality inside the extreme edge toward said edge and not in the opposite direction.

Although the invention has been described as embodied in a particular machine it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine which has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine of the class described having in combination, trimming mechanism, a worktable mounted for angular adjustment to vary the angle of the trimming cut and for bodily adjustment to vary the level at which the work is presented to the trimming meclr anism, and a single operator controlled member manipulation of which may be caused to effect both adjustn'ients. j

2. A machine of the class described havin in combination, trimming mechanism, a wor table mounted for angular adjustment to vary the angle of the trinuning cut and for bodily adjustment to vary the level at which the work is presented to the trimming mechanism, and a single operator-controlled member movement of which in one direction causes both adjustments to be efi'ected.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, trimming mechanism, a work table angularly adjustable to var the angle of the trimming cut and bodily adjustable to vary the level at which the work is presented to the trimming mechanism, a single oper' tor-controlled member, and connections between different portions of the member and the table such that manipulation of the member may be caused to eifect bothadjustments.

, 4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a cooperating shear member, a work table angularly adjustable to vary the angle of the cut and bodily adjustable to vary the level at which the work is presented to the cutter, and a single manually-controlled member manipulation of which may be caused to effect both adjustments.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a cooperating shear member, a work table angularly adjustable to vary the angle of the cut and bodily adjustable to vary the level at which the work is presented to the cutter, and a. single manually-controlled member manipulation of which in one direction causes both adjustments to be effected.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair of cooperating rotary cutters, a work table angularly adjustable about an axis located adjacent to the bite of the cutters and bodily adjustable up and down, and a single operator-controlled member manipulation of which may be caused both to adjust the table angularly and to change its level.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, trimming mechanism, a work table angularly adjustable to vary the angle of the trimmingcut and bodily adjustable to vary the level at which the work is presented to the trimming mecha nism, the table being normally considerably inclined and in its lower position, and a single operator-controlled member manipulation of which raises the table and decreases its angular inclination.

8. A machine of the class described hav ing, in combination, a rotary cutter, a thinedged guard extending in front of the cutter, a work table located in front of the cutter and having its supporting face spaced below the edge of the cutter, and means whereby the guard may be adjusted toward and from the table and in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutter.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a thinedged rotatable hollow guard extending over said cutter, a work table arranged to support the work with the overflow therefrom extending beneath the guard into the path of the cutter, and means whereby said guard may be adjusted toward and from the cutter in two directions.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a thinedged rotatable hollow guard extending over said cutter, a work table arranged to support the work with the overflow therefrom extending beneath the guard into the path of the cutter, and means whereby said guard may be adjusted vertically and in a direction substantially parallelt-o the axis of rotation of the cutter.

11. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a thin edged rotatable hollow guard extendingover said cutter, a work table arranged to support the work with the overflow therefrom extending beneath the edge of the guard into the path oi the cutter, a slide by which the guard is carried, and a bracket in which the slide is held, means for adjustably holding the bracket on the frame of the machine, and means for adjust-ably holding the slide in the bracket.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary disk cutter, a sharpening stone, a bracket 1n winch the stone is shdably mounted, said bracket being nm'mally in inoperative position but capable 13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary disk cuttei having a beveled edge, a sharpening stone, a bracketmovable to bring the stone into cooperative relation to the beveled edge oi the cutter, 'a comparatively strong spring acting through the bracketto hold the stone against the cutter, said stone being slidable with respect to the bracket in a direction sub stantially parallel to the bevelededge of the cutter, and a weak spring tending to move the stone with respect to the b 'acket.

' 14. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a rotary disk cutter having a beveled edge, a hollow guard extending over the cutter, said guard being capable of being raised to permit free access to the cutter, a bracket for a sharpening stone, said bracket being movable from in operative to operative position when the guard is in raised position, a sharpening stone slidably mounted in the bracket, a comparatively heavy spring acting upon the bracket to hold the stone against the cutter,

and a second weaker spring tending to move the stone in a directionparallel to the beveled edge of the cutter, said last named spring being so weak that it will not move the stone until the stone has been disengaged from the cutter.

15. A trimming machine comprising trimming means, a table arranged to support the work in position to be trimmed, said table being capable of aplurality of ditl'erent kinds of adjustment, a manually operable adjusting member, and connections from said member to said table through which adjusting motion of said member is transmitted to eftect said different kinds of adjustment of the table.

In testimony whereof I haved signed my name to this specification.

SIDNEY J. FINN. 

